A Whisper to the Wind
by riesling
Summary: If you follow me, I'll never forgive you." Kagome is left alone, hurt and confused, on what was to have been her wedding night. She is searching for the answers, praying there is still someone out there who can save her. Kagome & Kouga; please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A Whisper in the Wind**

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**Author's Note:** Alright, loves, before you read anything, I would like to say that Kouga/Kagome is (besides a good Miroku/Sango or Kouga/Sango) my favorite Inuyasha pairing! It probably has something to do with how pretty their babies would be someday, ya know? Inuyasha, while being cute in his own right, just wouldn't do Kagome's pretty babies justice! Besides, wouldn't Kagome just l o v e being the Ookami Queen? I'd love it, especially with Kouga-kun involved!

But I'm straying from the point. The setting is three years after the completion of the Shikon Jewel and it assumes that Kagome wished to undo the destruction Naraku had caused. This would mean that Kikyo is now alive and well, not to mention that the Bone Eater's Well sealed itself. Unfortunately for Kagome, she's trapped on the wrong side in Feudal Japan for the rest of her life. But there's nothing really new here; most stories anymore seem to assume those circumstances.

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**Chapter One**

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Kagome wondered, for probably the hundredth time that evening, just how it was that she had gotten herself into this situation. Here she was, walking along a slightly overgrown path through a rather unknown forest, not worrying or caring where it was that she ended up.

'Just get away,' her mind breathed over and over. 'Buy a little time for yourself. You've got to be alone right now.'

It was dark in the forest, though the sun hadn't quite set yet. There were clouds gathering in the sky, hiding the thousands of glittering stars from her. The storm was coming; it was miles away but still holding onto today. But who could have blamed it? Wasn't fate playing some cruel joke by cursing Kagome's luck on her wedding night?

Lifting her arms to the sky as she stepped into a small clearing; Kagome began spinning, humming softly the lullaby that he had so often sung for her. It was peaceful, the sound of her soft humming mixing with the gentle rustle of summer leaves in the wind.

Kagome was on her back, looking up at the darkened clouds, before she'd even finished the lullaby. There was a bit of uncertainty about when it was that she had actually ended up falling down, but figuring that out was one of the furthest questions from her mind. She let the sweet smell of the flowers she was now lying in wash over her, hiding her scent from those who might have been wandering. And she made careful note to ignore the voice calling for her.

For all of the times when she had needed him, would have begged for him to be there for her, why was it now that he chose to care? Now, when she was busy trying to convince herself that she no longer needed him? He'd broken her heart just moments before; did he regret his decision now? Did it pain him to think that he might be losing her forever?

"Kagome!"

She mentally pleaded for him to turn away, to go back to the village. She needed this time to herself. There was something she knew that she had to do; something that didn't require his help.

He had already exhausted himself to her.

She inhaled deeply the smell of the lovely lavender blossoms that surrounded her. The smell brought her back to the places where life was so much easier, to the times where she was loved and needed. And she felt the tears forming at her eyes as she wished in vain to be there again.

'Mama,' her mind pleaded as she wrapped her small arms around her frail and shaking figure. Breathing now seemed such a hard activity as she began to adjust to the pressure building in her chest. Her heart hammered against her rib cage, reminding her that she was still alive. She was still worth something. 'Mama..."

The tears came quickly, flowing unbidden; unwanted. But the salty orbs fell from the corners of her eyes and were caught near her ears, cooling slightly in the stormy breeze. Kagome couldn't remember the last time that she'd cried. In her life, so far, she'd seen so many things. Nothing was a shock to her; nothing anymore.

She could vaguely remember a time when the sight of blood could make her head spin, when the anguished cries of a woman who'd lost her husband could make her heart break, when the very thought of being alone made her shiver inside. But all of those feelings were not so clear to her anymore. Her memories, her feelings, were lost in the misty fog of her past; a place she knew she could never return. 'Mama, what should I do now?'

She drew in a breath, no longer thinking of the voice still searching for her, and began to hum again. This time it was her mother's lullaby; a song that she had heard so many times in her childhood that it might have fused with her very being. It was soft at first, a faint whisper in the wind. But as she went on, remembering just what this song was, the tears fell faster and the sounds came to her with much greater ease.

"Kagome!"

She stopped her humming, wiping the tears away from her eyes. There was silence for a very long while as the beautiful raven-haired angel paused to collect herself before finally speaking, "You've followed me a long way, Inuyasha."

He was silent this time, just the breeze rushing through the leaves above their heads could be heard. The clouds continued to gather, the flowers continued to smell. Everything was still moving, the world still flittering along at its own pace.

But she was still lying broken in a field of lavender and soft humming. Her own song, her own music.

"Kagome I didn't-"

"Shh!" she whispered smoothly, sitting up to look at the young man in front of her. "I know."

His silver hair glistened in the dim moonlight and his amber eyes shined down at the beautiful woman in front of him. She wasn't his woman and he wasn't her man. It was a decision that he had made for her so easily just moments before.

"You weren't supposed to find out like this!" he blurted it out quickly this time, thinking should he not, Kagome would interrupt him once again. Then, more slowly, he added, "I said a lot of things I didn't mean; I-I was just... afraid-of what you would think."

His voice was weaker than she could ever remember hearing; cracking in all of the right places to let her know that he wasn't really telling her the truth. He had rehearsed this the entire time he had been searching for her. Kagome would have given anything to send him away, to keep his voice from reaching her ears.

"It's ok," she offered him her best smile, knowing that all of the tears from her eyes were no longer visible but the trail they had left on her porcelain cheeks were obvious. Their scent was sharp enough to cut through the intoxicating scent of lavender.

If he'd sensed her lie, he hadn't let on. Instead he continued, "I never wanted to hurt you."

'Its not like you never have before,' her mind challenged. But she knew that wasn't the attitude to have right now. Bitterness was not going to solve anything. Inuyasha had already made his decision and having followed her was only making the situation much more painful than it needed to be.

"Kagome," he paused. "We found the shards. Our job is done now; why are we still fooling ourselves like this?"

But the look on Kagome's face told him that had been the wrong thing to say. She let her eyes fall to the elaborate patterns in her wedding kimono and then let her eyes find their way to his one last time. She was searching for something and when she finally found it, she answered, "That's Kikyo talking, not you."

Again, silence filled the small forest clearing, interrupted only by the occasional rumble of thunder from the distance. Racing through Kagome's mind were the images that she'd grown accustomed to seeing so often. Inuyasha in the clearing, holding Kikyo in his arms, whispering his heart's desires to her. This time, however, there wasn't the same tinge of jealousy that such thoughts often brought to her. Instead, she felt nothing; emptiness.

'I guess I knew all along,' she felt the familiar tinge of regret in her heart; scolding herself for not having realized the facts of her relationship with Inuyasha earlier.

"I'm going," he stood, crossing his arms over his chest. His voice and attitude had returned to normal. He really hadn't changed in the three years that had passed since the jewel had been completed. He was still the same Inuyasha, insensitive to her feelings. "Aren't you?"

She laid down again in her spot in the flower field and let her eyes gaze into the few stars that were visible. Folding her hands delicately to lay across her smooth abdomen, she answered softly, "No, you go ahead without me."

He left the clearing without another word and, should he have picked up the scent of her tears on the wind, he hadn't returned. Perhaps it was that he no longer cared. Inuyasha had made his choice and it hadn't been her.

Kagome picked one of the lavender blossoms near her head and twirled it between her fingers. She was transfixed with its beauty, the way the soft petals felt against her face, how sweet it smelled pressed against her cheek.

'For all of the times when I'd needed him,' her mind echoed. 'Begged for him to be there for me, why was it now that he chose to care? Now, when he was too late to heal the wounds in my heart?'

--

_He was silent, knowing full well what he'd just done to the lovely raven haired Kagome. And on what was to have been their wedding night, no less. He had just broken her heart; ruined forever every trace of the relationship that they had slowly formed over the years that they had known each other. There was not even the remote possibility of friendship left for the pair.  
_

_She'd looked so beautiful in the smooth white kimono with a silk floral pattern woven into the fabric. The silver trim and obi had gone together magnificently; it was all he could do not to let his jaw fall to the ground when he saw her. Her hair was fitted away from her neck with small lily of the valleys tucked elegantly into the elaborate tangle of hair. Inuyasha had told her quickly, having been slightly caught off guard by her beautiful appearance. He didn't want to change his mind, not again. He told himself over and over that this was what was better for both of them._

_He had realized that the feelings between them were strictly convivial; hadn't she?_

_"Kagome," he whispered her name, not looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore. There's s-someone else."_

_She hadn't yelled, hadn't cried, like he had been expecting. He had even been foolish enough to believe that she had realized that their relationship had its flaws. But instead she stood there, looking at him thoughtfully. His ears drooped as he told her the news and she tried to hold back a small, bitter smile. Now was not the time._

_"Kikyo?"_

_"Yes," his voice trailed off. He wasn't surprised that she had known. Maybe she had known all along and he was just fooling himself._

_But her voice cracked, giving away her façade of strength, when she answered, "Inuyasha, I'm leaving for awhile. Please don't follow."_

_He'd watched her walk into the forest, giving her a bit of a head start before he finally decided to follow her. Something was bound to happen to her when she wasn't on her guard. The shards had been collected but there were still demons roaming the lands._

_So he followed her into the forest. He knew very well that she had wanted to be alone. But, should anything happen to her now, it would be on his conscious._

--

Kagome had removed her wooden sandals and the socks that had covered her delicate feet. She'd also taken the lily of the valleys out of her hair and replaced them with her lavender blossoms. Her hair fell loose down her back, blowing gently in the wind. Tonight wasn't her wedding night. In her heart she'd known for a long time that it wouldn't be.

She'd always been confused by her feelings for Inuyasha. Sure, she loved him, there wasn't any doubt about that. But there was something inside of her heart that knew he didn't return her love; and that same part wouldn't let her give herself to him completely, knowing well that heartache would be all she received in return. There were other men that made her heart skip a beat, Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru, was an example of this. But Kagome knew that it wasn't love. Right now, love was fickle; something that existed only in fairy tales. It was something that she knew she didn't deserve; this was not her time, the future was not hers to write. She was displaced, scared and alone in a strange land that her presence meant nothing to.

Leaving the articles of her clothing in the clearing, Kagome continued to walk, listening as the thunder grew slowly louder and lightning began to light up the night sky. The storm was finally here. And she was heading straight for its center.

Before she had gone too much further from the clearing, Kagome began to smell salt water. It was the ocean, undoubtedly. And she nearly doubled her pace to make it there; she had to see it. The cliff she found herself on top of was tall, looking to be at least one hundred meters from the rocks below. There was grass on the hill, sand below, a perfect testament to the ever changing yet constantly meshing landscape of Japan. She smiled; it would be such a long fall.

'Just one more step off,' her mind coaxed her. 'And you'll forever be taken away from this cruel world.'

Tears formed at her eyes as she listened to her mind, telling her to jump, to end her life. Wasn't there still so much that she had to live for?

'But what do you have? Inuyasha left you. Lord Sesshomaru never wanted you and Lord Kouga has already announced Ayame as his mate,' her mind had told her the truth. "There is nothing left, Kagome. No prince charming for the Miko Princess."

She had been mocked by her own mind. Something she wasn't used to experiencing. She listened as she continued to berate herself. And she had to admit that as the list of reasons to end her life grew so did the tears that fell from her eyes.

--

It was going to storm soon, he knew. And that, perhaps, was the reason for his desperation to find something: shelter. He picked up his pace, knowing well that his two loyal followers were very far behind.

'They're on their own tonight,' his mind echoed.

He stopped for a moment to sniff the air. Somewhere nearby there was a forest; surely there would be shelter for him there. He headed in the direction of the scent but stopped not more than five steps later to take in the lovely scent of lavender mixed with salt; not the salt from the ocean but from tears.

Deciding to investigate, Kouga changed his course and headed towards this new scent. Whoever it was might have shelter for the evening. It was too dangerous to be out in this storm; and it was that hope that drove him onwards.

The rain began falling, slowly at first, as he continued in this new direction. He had to hurry, before the storm got any worse. And finally, he saw her, the young woman whose tears were now falling as company to the rain. And she looked so beautiful, standing with her back to the wolf prince, oblivious to the fact that he was watching over her. Kagome's raven black hair, though wet and matted to her face by the rain, shined with the crystal droplets. The white kimono she wore was soaked, but the way the silk woven into it reflected back towards him with every flash of lightning made his breath catch in his throat.

The wind was beginning to pick up. It was too dangerous for her to be standing so close to the cliff's edge. But Kouga could only watch as she reached for the lavender blossom in her hair and held it out in front of her, over the cliff.

She began humming softly as she released the blossom and watched it toss and tumble towards the rocky bottom below. She sensed someone watching her and turned her head slightly to look at the figure behind her, thinking it was Inuyasha.

"Go home," her voice was cold. "If you follow me I'll never forgive you."

'Kagome!' his mind screamed. 'Why is she here? This was her wedding night and she is surely married to that inukkoro by now.'

But his heart caught in his throat as he watched her spread her arms to her sides and inhale as she let her body fall over the cliff. He was helpless. And, without thinking he ran to the edge and jumped after her, "Kagome!"

Somewhere mid fall, she had turned and fell with her eyes searching the top of the cliff. Her heart was racing with regret as she realized what it was that she had done. But the fear clinging to her was so strong that she wasn't able to speak; she didn't scream. Instead, she closed her eyes, trying to accept the decision she had made for herself. But her eyes opened one last time, begging to see just a few more instants of the life she was leaving.

And she saw the man jump after her. But it wasn't Inuyasha that had followed her down; it was Kouga.

'He won't make it in time,' her mind echoed. And Kagome accepted this fact. She let her arms fall out to her sides, ready to accept her end.

But impact never came. Instead, two strong arms wrapped around her waist and she felt her body pressed against the well muscled chest of Kouga. When she finally opened her eyes they were on the beach, the rain still falling, both completely soaked from the storm.

He held her delicate body in his arms, not ready to put her down. That had been close, far too close. He'd almost lost his beautiful Kagome forever.

"Dammit!" she screamed, pounding her fists against his chest to make him release her. Anger wasn't really the emotion that she had wanted to be expressing to the beautiful wolf demon that had risked his life to save hers. But she was hurt, and still so confused by what had happened. "God dammit! What did you do that for?"

"Kagome," he took her fists in his in an attempt to calm her. His eyes looked hurt, and honestly, they were.

Staring up at him made her heart ache. And the sobs began again. She pulled her fists from Kouga's strong hands and covered her face with her palms.

Kouga wasn't sure what had happened but he would be damned if he didn't kill that ungrateful hanyou for this. Here was Kagome, crumbled in his arms, when she should have been happier than she had ever been at any moment of her entire life. And the fact that that bastard hanyou would take something so precious away from her made his blood boil.

Without another word, Kouga cradled her in his arms and began to walk towards a nearby cave. She hadn't noticed, or if she did, she hadn't protested. Once inside Kouga sat her down on the smoothest portion of the cave floor and began to search for something to start a fire.

But of course there was nothing and, had there been, there was no flint to start the fire. Kagome's travel bag was long forgotten in Kaede's village, he was fairly certain. So the two faced one another in the darkness of the cave; tears in Kagome's eyes and rage in Kouga's.

He couldn't say exactly how long it had been that they had been facing each other before he could take it no longer. She hadn't stopped crying since he'd brought her inside. And her kimono, though thick in its own right, had to be uncomfortably wet.

"Shh!" he slid his body next to hers and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. To this action she responded by burring her face in his armor and crying even harder.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed over and over. "I'm so sorry, Kouga."

He hadn't expected her to apologize; she didn't really need to in his opinion. So Kouga reacted by stroking her wet hair and rubbing her back lightly.

She began to calm down a little after a while. And then Kouga finally thought it safe to speak once again.

"Kagome," his voice was so soft, comforting. "I hate to see you so upset. What's the matter?"

She sniffed a little and wiped her nose on her sleeve. It didn't matter how important this garment was; for Kagome, it was all bad news and heartbreak. Her eyes looked deep into his, admiring the beautiful sky blue color.

"You could have died," she whispered.

"So could you," his voice trailed off.

Choosing to ignore this comment, she looked to the floor and added, "Saving me was dangerous. And, if something had happened to you, where would that have left Ayame?"

He raised an eyebrow and lifted her face level with his. One of his strong hands were holding hers and his other gently removed some of the tears still clinging to her cheeks. There was a slight smile on his face and a kindness in his eyes that Kagome had only ever known from him.

"Honestly," he paused. "I think she'd be fine right where I left her."

Kagome seemed not to notice as his hands found their way to her obi and began to gently remove it from her waist. The rain falling on sand outside the cave overtook the silence. And before long, Kagome's kimono and obi were lying discarded on the floor. All that she now wore was a silver silk under robe which was much drier than her kimono had been.

"Its too cold for you to be wearing a wet kimono," Kouga explained. "Even if it did look stunning."

Kagome wasn't really paying him much attention, however. She was still focused on his last comment. Her mind wondered, 'Where he last left her?'

"Kouga?" her voice was soft, echoing off of the cave walls in the sweet singsong tone that Kouga had grown to love. "Why?"

There were still tears clinging to the edges of her eyes. He offered her a weak smile, showing that he hadn't quite understood what she was asking. Kouga gently brushed the tears from her eyes and held her body to his in an embrace that he'd been waiting so long to give her.

"Why would he pick her before me?" Kagome's breath caught in her throat as another sob struggled to free itself from her lips.

"Kagome," he pulled away from her to look into her eyes. "No! He didn't."

His voice was shocked; his reaction causing her to sob once again. She couldn't speak and only nodded her head against his shoulder. Kouga rocked her back and forth in his arms, his hatred for the hanyou growing with each of Kagome's sobs and each of her falling tears.

--

Eventually she cried herself to sleep. She'd been crying for hours as the storm raged on outside of the cave they were to share for the night. Kagome had cried until there were no more tears, no more energy to let them fall, no more sadness to keep her heart broken.

Her head was resting in his lap and Kouga couldn't help but brush the tangles and knots out of her long locks of ebony hair with his fingers. In her sleep you wouldn't have been able to tell that she had been so upset just moments before. Her features were beautiful, angelic.

In fact, in her sleep she appeared to be just the opposite of sad. There, through the darkness, Kouga couldn't help but make out the faint hints of a smile on her serene face. Perhaps it was from her dream but Kouga couldn't help but pray that he had had at least a little something to do with putting that smile there.

For as long as he could remember he'd always been in love with her. Real love; not way he felt about Ayame, not the way his father had felt about his own mother. Ever since his pack had accepted her as one of their own he'd been in love. And, though it had all started out wrong, with him kidnapping her from her fellow travelers, Kouga knew that she'd always felt something for him, too. It was in the way she looked at him. It was in the way she spoke to him. Her patience with him and her ability to make him always smile, even when he'd sworn revenge on Naraku for nearly annihilating half of his pack. There was something about Kagome that made her so different from any other woman, human and demon alike, that he had ever encountered.

The storm was still raging full force once she started to toss and turn in her sleep. She'd started slowly, turning from her left side to her right. But as the tossing and turning grew worse, Kouga realized that she was having a nightmare.

Her cheeks were flushed and she seemed to be sweating lightly. From all of movement, her under robe was tangled in her legs, exposing soft white calves and delicate little feet.

Picking her up in his arms Kouga stroked her hair and rocked her back and forth. The whole time he whispered, "Shh! I'm here, Kagome. It's ok. I'm here."

"Inuyasha," she murmured.

Kouga ran a hand across her forehead to feel her burning with fever. This wasn't good, he knew. It was still hours before morning and the storm showed no signs of letting up. The wold prince knew absolutely nothing of medicine. That had always been her strong point, not his. But now she needed him. This was his first chance to protect her; to do the things that he'd always accepted that the hanyou would do.

Kouga's mind raced, 'Do I go get help? But I can't take her out in this storm; and I certainly can't leave her here alone.'

Faintly, he could remember being sick with a fever himself, once. Long ago, after playing in the rain with his father he'd come home to a terrible fever. He remembered his mother wrapping him tightly in a blanket for warmth and wiping his face softly with wet towels. But here, there was nothing; no blanket, no towels. There certainly was a lot of water, but the cold substance was certainly to blame for the change in his lovely Kagome. Kouga turned his attention to Kagome's wedding kimono. It had dried slightly and would be his best bet for a blanket.

He covered her quickly, resting her head, once again, in his lap. She'd calmed down from her nightmare but her breathing was still forced and ragged.

"Don't worry, Kagome," he brushed her hair away from her face. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"Inu… yasha," she whispered again. "I have… to go…"

Kouga was baffled by her words. Was she still dreaming? Or did she think that he was Inuyasha? He decided to play along to find out.

"Kagome," he whispered, touching her shoulder. "Don't go."

"I have to," her voice trailed off again.

"Why?"

The first part of what she said was muffled by sleep but Kouga did understand the second part. "Don't love you anymore."

He felt his heart beating heavily within his chest. Cautiously, Kouga checked to see that her eyes were still closed; she was dreaming. Then he questioned her, "Who is he? I swear I'll-"

"Kouga," she whispered faintly. Then she turned slightly, murmuring something more before he could understand her again, "Mmm, you understand."

"Kagome!" his exclamation was one of shock, hidden behind a mere whisper of her name. The wolf prince was about to pull her into his arms before he caught himself; she hadn't confessed that to him. She was still dreaming.

She let out a soft moan Kouga did pull her into his lap. He was holding her up by placing a strong hand behind her back, letting her head rest gently on his shoulder. He could feel her warmth, barely, as she was very cold. He took a deep breath as he watched her eyes slowly blink open. She looked straight into his concerned face.

"Kouga?" her face paled.

"Yes, Kagome, what is it?" he pressed her on, supporting her weight in one arm and holding her hand in the other.

"So cold," she brought her hand to cautiously touch his armor.

He could see the goose bumps on her skin and his heartbeat quickened again. She was so delicate, so frail, in his arms. But he knew that he had to protect her; protect her like he'd always promised he would.

"I know," he held her close to him. "I'm so sorry."

His arms felt warm against her body and she snuggled into his embrace. Kouga couldn't help but blush as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. She sighed and let her body relax against his.

"But you're warm," she whispered innocently. He could tell that she was still tired; half asleep. And he knew that, under most circumstances, what he was about to do would be wrong. But Kagome needed him. And he had promised to look after her. Laying her lithe form on the ground, Kouga quickly removed the armor plate on his chest and laid his body next to hers. Lifting the kimono only momentarily to allow for himself to lie closer to Kagome, Kouga pulled her into his warm arms.

"Forgive me for this, Kagome," he whispered, as she rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled closer to him.

Once he felt her body relax into his he knew she was sleeping. And he kissed the top of her head so softly. Her body felt so nice wrapped in his arms. Kouga knew that it would be hard for him to explain this to her in the morning but, in time, he knew that she would forgive him.

"I love you, lady; I have always loved you," he whispered into her soft hair. "I have abhorred that hanyou for three long years because he was allowed to lie beside you while I was not. He doesn't realize what he is losing, Kagome; he never realized the treasure he found in you. If you could only realize how long I have dreamed of the moment when I would be allowed to take care of you..."

There was silence, save for the sound of crashing waves and a raging storm outside. Finally, Kouga closed his own eyes and prepared for sleep. But he was startled by the sound of a small voice from beside him.

"Do you really mean that?" her soft brown eyes looked up at him begging for an answer.

"Kagome?" he looked straight into her eyes, smiling a little as he brushed a smooth hand across her cheek. He didn't seem to be too embarrassed about his recent confession. "I thought you were asleep."

Blinking a few times, Kagome lowered her gaze, "I'm sorry, Kouga, for hearing what I shouldn't have been listening to."

"No, Kagome," he shook his head, rubbing the small of her back with his free hand. "I do mean that."

"But what about Ayame?" her voice was quiet and her heart was racing as she waited for his answer. Kagome wasn't really sure what she wanted to hear from Kouga. Would it make her feel better to think that Kouga had broken Ayame's heart? Was there comfort waiting for her if she were to find out that there was another beautiful young woman out there who had her own heart broken?

"What about her?" he snapped Kagome out of her thoughts.

Letting her eyes fall to his bare chest she stated what was, at that moment, one of her worst fears, "Don't you love her?"

"What would give you that idea?"

"You announced not long ago that she was to be your mate," Kagome stopped and looked into his eyes, searching for a glimmer of honesty. She couldn't ever trust herself with another man who might hold a special place in his heart for another woman. Kagome would never let another man have the choice to break her in the same way that Inuyasha had. She would be smarter, she would be stronger. Her voice was still quiet, however, when she spoke, "I thought the two of you would have already-"

"Who told you that?" he exclaimed, cutting her off. His eyes flashed like the lightening outside, considering that someone might have been trying to sabotage him.

"Inu-"

Her eyes fell from his again but he gently lifted her chin to look into her eyes. He gave her a small smile and pulled her into his arms.

"It wasn't true," he whispered. "I would have waited for you forever."

And, somehow, Kagome could tell that Kouga was telling her the truth. She had been breaking his heart for three years while she had been waiting on Inuyasha to realize that he really was in love with her. It made sense, at least, that he wouldn't be lying to her now.

"Kouga," she buried her face in his chest. He could feel her still feverish cheeks against his chest and he pulled her close again.

"You need your rest," he whispered. "Now, sleep. I'll watch over you, lady."


	2. Chapter 2

**A Tajiya's Grief**

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**Author's Note:** First, I would just like to thank all of you so much for the lovely reviews! I appreciate your encouragement so much, I can't describe it. Also, I've noticed that so many of you have added this story to your favorites or alerts list. Thank you, thank you so much! This means the world to me that you're all enjoying my story so much. It inspires me to keep writing it!

This chapter is much shorter than the last; I'm beginning to think that this story is going to be a bit longer and I'd hate to keep you all reading so long with five thousand word chapters. I think you deserve a break every now and again; also, shorter chapters will make updating easier. Thanks again and please keep your reviews coming. I would LOVE to hear from you all and reviews keep me focused on this story and keep updates coming faster!

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**Chapter Two**

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The next morning dawned to find a very worried Sango searching the forests surrounding Kaede's village for her friend, Kagome. It had been bad enough for Inuyasha to break off a wedding with his bride-to-be the night of the ceremony, but to chase her out of the village as well! It was unforgivable. And it was the passion and rage that drove Sango's actions. She was fast in her searching, precise and efficient where it was difficult to believe that a human could be. Her senses were high wired for any sign of the other girl; because they were like sisters. She had been family when Sango had none. She had been a friend when Sango had been lonely. Sango loved Kagome and, despite the harsh chill in the air that was so uncharacteristic of the season, there wasn't any way that the other girl would abandon Kagome. Not now. Not ever.

Miroku and Shippou were off searching on the other side of the village near the Bone Eater's Well. They all knew that the seal was permanent, but that still didn't mean Kagome might not have given it a try. Kirara had stayed with Sango, darting in and out of some of the smaller bushes and brambles for any sign of the other woman. Sango was about to give up searching in her current direction and head backwards towards the village when she came upon a small clearing. It was no different than many of the other ones that she had found in her search, but this one was nearly overgrown with lavender blossoms. It was so far away from the village, Sango doubted that Kagome would have made it all this way in one night.

But despite her doubts, Sango made her way to the center of the clearing where she could just barely see that the blossoms gave way to a hole of some sort or another. What the demon slayer found instead was rather chilling, indeed. There, in what appeared to be the imprint of a human's figure in the lavender field, were Kagome's wooden shoes and the elaborate combs that Sango had so laboriously woven through Kagome's raven locks the afternoon before. They were painful reminders of the events from last night, but they were clues for Sango and she picked them up quickly, holding them against her heart for a moment.

"Kagome-chan," the young slayer's breath was nothing more than a faint whisper as she tucked the priceless items safely into her sash. Sango moved quickly, following Kirara out of the clearing and back onto the path. She was racing down the path in a direction that she knew was leading her further away from Kaede's village. It was very unlikely that Kagome would have come this far; even though she had been upset, and understandably so, the girl still had her senses. But Sango's heart nearly stopped with her feet as she reached the edge of a cliff. And she quickly took a few steps backwards towards safety.

Her eyes widened at the realization that she could have just fallen off and over the side! What with all of her carelessness there wasn't a chance that she was going to find Kagome. Sango needed to clear her thoughts. She needed to stop being angry with Inuyasha, though she wanted to introduce him to her Hiraikotsu and let the two become rather intimately acquainted with one another. She needed to calm her nerves; she needed to just breathe. Sango took a moment to peer over the edge, thinking about what a close call that had been. She was thankful she had been able to stop in time. It would have been such a long, long fall.

Without warning, Sango's stomach did a somersault with dread and the slayer fell to her knees as her hands covered her mouth in shock. Her breath was shaky and her heart was aching. What if Kagome had been running this same path? What if, in the darkness, she hadn't noticed the cliff and had somehow– "No!" her voice was anguished. Sango wouldn't allow herself to think it.

But as hard as she tried to dismiss those terrible thoughts from her mind, Sango wasn't able to shake her doubts. It was broad daylight and, though not a sunny day by any means, the slayer hadn't noticed the cliff until she was nearly over the top of it. This place was such a great distance from the village that it had to have been dark when Kagome reached it.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango's voice was hoarse as tears began to sting at the edges of her lovely brown eyes. There was pain where there had been hope only moments before and the ache in Sango's heart was so strong she thought it might explode in her chest. Sango was still on her knees, though her body fell against the ground and her long dark hair spilled about her shoulders as a sob escaped from her lips.

It had been so long since she had cried. And the tears felt hot against her cold skin, out of place, unwanted, and completely unnatural. She pounded a clenched fist against the ground as her shoulders shook and the wind ruffled her hair.

She could hear her name from somewhere behind her. It was soft, somewhere far in the distance. But Sango could not bring herself to stop crying. She could not control the selfish tears that fell from her sad eyes as she cried in vain to take Kagome's place. Sango would have gladly taken all of Kagome's pain from her if only she would have come back to the village last night. If only Sango wouldn't have listened to Kagome's request that she be alone. If only Sango had gone after her friend; if only she hadn't left Kagome alone.

"Gomen-nasai, Kagome-chan!" she sobbed into the soil, digging her fingers into the dirt as she clenched and unclenched her fists. "This is all my fault. If only I had been there…"

The voice was closer now as Kirara, who must have gone for help when she'd noticed the dismal situation that had upset her mistress so, landed softly behind the fallen slayer. His voice was deep and soothing as his hands brushed her tangled hair out of her face and rubbed her back gently. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and picked her up only to cradle her shaking form against soft purple fabric.

"M-Miroku," she murmured, shivering as the cold began to sting more than just her exposed skin. It cut through her demon slayer's uniform as though it was nothing and she wrapped her arms around herself to counteract the chill. Her eyes were still clouded with tears, but he wiped them all away with his thumbs before pulling her body against his to keep her warm. "Kagome-chan…"

"Shh!" he whispered, stroking her hair and gently rocking her slender form back and forth in his arms. He hoped that he was being a comfort to her. He hoped that his presence there, with her in that moment, would be enough. Miroku had guessed her sadness the moment he had seen her, had known immediately just why it was that she cried so bitterly. And he could do nothing for her to take the pain away. He could do nothing but hold her and whisper softly into her ear and gently kiss her forehead, her cheeks, her tears. His heart ached for the loss of his companion, but it ached more for Sango and her pain. Kagome was more than her friend; Kagome was her family. His voice was soft as his heart ached, "Shh! It's ok, Sango-chan; I'm here."

The wind howled around the two figures, their shoulders slumped and their faces grim. The waves crashed so far down below them, a reminder of the fate of their dear friend. And it began to rain; a cool, weak sprinkle that promised to erupt into something much greater. Something harsh and unforgiving.

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	3. Chapter 3

Before I say anything more about this chapter, I want it to be known that I most respectfully dedicate it to both **Peyton Cummings** and **yukimora21**, for their encouragement and support. They both left wonderful reviews while awarding me the proverbial _'triple crown'_ in writing this story. It means so much to me to be recognized by such sincere and wonderfully talented authors! So I want to thank both of them, most sincerely, for their help in encouraging me to update quickly and their kind words. Thank you both very, very much.

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**Safeguard an Angel**

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**Author's Note:** Now, I know that you all know Kagome is alive so that chapter really wasn't much of a cliffhanger or anything like that. I thought that it was only necessary to bring a slight hint of a Miroku/Sango pairing to this story; just in case any of you happen to be fans. I promise, though, that this story centers on Kagome and Kouga so there really won't be much more straying from the two of them. But, just as you're all so sure Kagome is ok, I really should bring you to her and Kouga now, shouldn't I? Kagome was sick when we last left her and I can't make any promises that your assumptions will be true and Sango's reaction in the last chapter will be false. I suppose you're going to have to read and find out what happens, right?

Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews. I'd like to hear what you think of the story and what your opinions are of what directions this story should take!

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**Chapter Three**

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It was a cold morning and, notwithstanding the heavy kimono covering him, Kouga shivered despite himself, taking a deep breath and blinking his eyes open tiredly. It was early. And dark. And Kouga would have liked to close his eyes again and return to his sleep for a few more hours had it not been for that damnable chill! He could hear the waves crashing outside of the entrance of the cave, like icy daggers, and the events of the night before came rushing back to him like a flood.

A storm.

It was the way she had looked in that white kimono laced every so often with silver silk thread, the moonlight reflecting off of it with an ethereal glow that made her seem so angelic, so inhuman. It was the way her hair had been so carefully tied back and away from her porcelain face, her rosy cheeks, her deep sapphire eyes. It was the sadness in those eyes and the hopelessness in her voice as she'd cried that name. His name.

'Inuyasha.'

And Kouga closed his eyes again, feeling his body swell with rage. He remembered the moment of panic that had overtaken his body right before she had allowed herself to fall over the edge of that cliff. And he remembered the moment before his body had acted for him and he'd jumped over the cliff after her, his eyes closed and his arms reaching out to her; because he had wanted to catch her so badly. He had wanted to save her and hold her and love her. Because she was Kagome. She was no longer Inuyasha's Kagome. Kouga had saved her. He'd caught her and somehow managed to land safely on the beach below with no harm done to either of them. It was a miracle that they were both alive.

His miracle.

When his eyes opened again, the anger had subsided and he was able to breathe normally. It was still cold; there really was nothing that he could do about it. His powers were consumed in the moment. This moment, with her sleeping soundly in his arms, it was today. Yesterday was soon forgotten as he stared down at her cheeks, flushed from the cold, and noticed that the only reason he wasn't shivering out of control was because her body burned with fever.

Her eyes were closed and her breath was steady, though slightly more labored that Kouga thought it should have been while she slept. If the angel in his arms was dreaming, it seemed to be of something peaceful, for she neither stirred nor made a sound as her shoulders gently rose and fall in rhythm with the beating of her heart. Kouga could feel it beat against his own chest. It felt weak to him, as though it might still be broken. Shattered by that ungrateful hanyou.

"Kagome-chan," his voice was hoarse from having been dormant for so many hours as he slept. But he cleared his throat softly, hoping that it wouldn't be a cough that she woke up to while in his care. When she didn't stir, he tried again, his voice a bit louder, "Kagome, wake up."

He shook her shoulders slightly with his words, all the while keeping his eyes focused on her sleeping features. The white under robe she had worn the evening before was glowing in the dawning light seeping into the cave from the entrance. Her skin, while pale and slightly flushed from fever, was so soft against his fingers as he gently rubbed her shoulders to wake her. His jaw dropped slightly as she stirred in his arms.

Was it a sin to wake an angel?

But what had sin every meant to the wolf prince before? Her head was still resting on his shoulder when he bent down to nuzzle his cheek against the smooth raven locks of her hair. She was slowly waking from her slumber, perhaps the extra time it was taking her could be blamed on her sickness, but Kouga was growing more worried by the moment. He was careful of her small frame as he sat up in the darkness of the cave and cradled her form against his own.

"Mmm," her voice was so weak. The sound that had escaped from her lips was so soft that he'd almost needed to strain himself to hear it. His eyes scanned her labored expression with concern as he gently brushed her bangs away from her eyes. Kouga was holding Kagome in his arms, cradling her back in his right arm and allowing her head to rest gently on his shoulder. With his left hand, he was playing soothingly with her hair. And when her eyes eventually struggled their way open they were met with a look of trepidation from Kouga.

"Kagome-chan…"

"K-Kouga-kun," her voice trembled and sounded foreign to her own ears. It was such a weak sound, like it was so far away from her. She almost wondered if she had even managed to say anything at all. But her body was aching from the cold and, though she felt like crying, like melting into Kouga's arms, like never opening her eyes again, Kagome knew she had to try to speak again. Her voice was hoarse, a dry and cracking sound. But it was louder this time, "I'm s-so cold."

The wolf prince could feel an unfamiliar sensation overcoming him, then. It was almost like helplessness. Almost like apprehension. And he hated to admit it to himself, that he could feel something so terrible and so weak. There was a low growl deep in the back of his throat that he hadn't even thought to try to contain.

Here, in the cave, he could do nothing for Kagome, whimpering as she was. It was cold no matter what he did; she was sick and he knew nothing of medicine. Kouga knew nothing about how to begin saving her and he clenched his left fist, knowing that he had no choice but to take her back to Kaede's village. His lands were too far away. She wouldn't have a chance of making it, especially if it started to rain again.

Laying her head gently in his lap, Kouga put his armor back on and began to ready himself to leave for Kaede's village. It was a rather long way but he knew that he could make it in record time; Kagome was depending on him making it fast. She needed the attention of that elder. What was her name again.

"Kouga-kun?"

"Just hang on, Kagome-chan," he whispered into her hair, carrying her limp form out of the cave and into the dawning morning. The sunlight was struggling to peek through the clouds and warm them both with its golden rays. But there was also a hint of rain; Kouga could smell it somewhere not far off in the distance. She was covered in her white kimono, now dry from having been in the cool night air for several hours. But it was still cold. It would not suffice to keep Kagome alive. Kouga's legs were what would save her. His legs and their speed. Looking down at her flushed cheeks and the pained expression on her face made an unfamiliar place in Kouga's heart tinge uncomfortably and he spoke, trying to encourage her as must as himself, "Hold on."


	4. Chapter 4

**A Hero in Wolf's Clothing**

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**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry that it has taken me as long as it has to update this story. I'm studying abroad in Beijing (if you're here, hit me up at my email!) and having the time of my life. Unfortunately, I have to admit that most of my writing has been shoved to the back burner, of sorts. But don't worry, loves, I already have ideas for the next chapter and I KNOW you're going to like them.

Please do let me know, however, if you'd like Kagome to have a confrontation with Inuyasha. Or perhaps you might enjoy things more if Kouga settled things between them once and for all? Hell, Inuyasha might even offer the wolf prince his blessing. But I really want your opinions on this because I'm only writing to keep my readers happy! Your opinions do matter to me a lot and, even though I might not have time to respond to all of your reviews, I do appreciate each and every one. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this story and I'm really glad that so many of you are enjoying it.

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**Chapter Four**

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It couldn't have been more than three hours since Miroku had brought Sango back to the village. His shoulders were slumped as he leaned against the wall of Kaede's hut and stared down at the sleeping figure of Sango. Until that morning, he would have never thought it possible that the woman would have been capable of crying herself to sleep, of crying away all of her strength. Not when she had lost her entire village had she cried so hard. Not when she had lost her younger brother Kohaku, her only remaining kin, had she cried for so long. Only for Kagome had his beloved Sango cried so passionately, cried with so much emotion.

Miroku knew that his heart was breaking more for the slayer than for the young miko from the future. Though he loved Kagome dearly, Sango was the woman he would have laid his life down for and to see her still alive but hurting so deeply from some pain that he could not take away from her nearly broke the houshi's strong exterior and brought him to tears, as well.

But he calmed himself by listening to the gentle, even sound of Sango's breathing. He resolved himself to tracing the long strands of her elegant dark brown hair gently with his hand; his cursed hand fully healed but staying as far away from the pure slayer as he could manage. This pain she was suffering belonged to her and, even though his scars were of pain from his past, he refused to mix any form of his sorrow with hers.

It was just after noon and, while most of the village was inside for what was quickly shaping up to be another dreary summer afternoon, word had spread like wildfire about Kagome's fate. And there was a heavy air of sorrow hanging over the village that no one had known since before the defeat of Naraku. It was Kagome who had brought that defeat, really. Though Inuyasha had had quite a large hand in the act, at the moment, none of the villagers would have credited him with a thing. None would have called him a hero, not a saint.

But some might have called him a murderer.

Worse than the devil himself. To think that he would have crushed Kagome on their wedding day? To think that that atrocious half-breed would have the nerve to chase the lovely young woman out of the village and over a cliff to her death? But what was worse? To think that the silver haired hanyou would have chosen the dead woman from whom Kagome was the reincarnation…

Miroku frowned, hearing Kaede's voice from outside of the hut. It was soft, spoken as no more than a whisper, but the monk didn't have to strain his ears to hear exactly what was being said. 'A whirlwind? In the distance? Headed this way?' her voice had questioned. And the answers were all positive. 'Are ye sure? Are ye absolutely certain?' Another yes.

'Kouga-san,' he thought to himself, swallowing nervously in the back of his throat. There was a knot there that Miroku knew was going to make speech quite difficult. But, with Sango asleep and Kaede quite unsure of how to speak to the wolf prince herself, the houshi knew that the responsibility of explanations and details would fall to him. He drew in a shaky breath, placing his hand on Sango's shoulder before he whispered, "Sleep well, my lady; I'll be back in a moment."

He did feel guilty, leaving her on the cot like that. But he was sure to step quietly across the wooden floor, knowing that if her eyes were to open and he was not by her side she would only be more upset. He made it to the porch of the small hut, placing a hand on the door frame that he'd slid open only a moment before and waited for the whirlwind to draw closer.

There was a cool breeze that Miroku knew hadn't come from Kouga when he skidded to a stop in front of Kaede's hut. And in his arms was the lifeless form of Kagome, her delicate features set and her cheeks flushed a most unusual shade of rose. It was painful for Miroku to see her and the awkward sound that escaped from Kaede's lips was enough to wrench his heart and cause the houshi to place a strong hand on the elderly woman's shoulder.

"K-kouga-kun," her voice was small, it was so weak and infinitesimal that Miroku had barely heard it. Kaede hadn't heard the sound at all, but the look of desperation in the wolf prince's eyes and the subtle movement of Kagome's head against his shoulders sent the old woman racing from her porch and into the drizzle that none had quite noticed begin.

"Inside with the both of ye!" she commanded, pushing Kouga and Kagome towards her hut with a desperation that was most unlike her. And Mirkou moved aside without protest, without thought. He watched from the doorway as a fire was built and a mat laid out next to Sango's. Kaede's hands were at work, stripping the girl from her wet garments and changing her quickly into warmer, dryer clothing.

He was in shock, at a complete loss for words. Miroku knew that his jaw had dropped and shock had filled his lovely violet eyes but he made no attempt to mask the emotions that now overcame him. And when the tears began to threaten at the corners of his eyes, it was only joy that he felt. Because Kagome was home and, though there was still mystery shadowing her fate, Miroku felt better knowing that she was here in the village where she belonged. He felt relieved, as though he were now the keeper of some deep secret, and the tears didn't fall because of the weight of that realization. He would be strong for Sango's sake because Kagome's future was still uncertain.

Kouga, for respect of Kagome's privacy, stepped back to the porch where he stood with Miroku. Neither man said a word because it was still too soon for either to really formulate any form of coherent thought. And Sango remained on the mat, completely unaware of what was going on around her. But Miroku knew that when she finally opened her eyes and saw the lovely form of Kagome, her best friend and her only family, lying peacefully beside her every one of her sorrows would disappear.

Just as the drizzle would eventually fade away and be forgotten. Just as the uncharacteristically cool summer breeze would die down and disappear. Just as this whole terrible incident would vanish from their memories and things would return to normal.

But it was still too soon to tell the outcome of Kouga's race to save Kagome's life. And it was still too early for any of Miroku's prayers to have reached the heavens above. It was in fate's hands now. If God wanted one of his angels back…


	5. Chapter 5

**Through Grey Skies**

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**Author's Note:** It took me a long time to be able to write this chapter. I started it several times and, despite my best attempts, I'm still not entirely satisfied with the way it turned out. Please let me know what you think of it, and don't judge too harshly, as this was a difficult chapter to write. Also, I want to apologize that it took me so long to get this posted. It has been done for a week XD and I'm not sure why I didn't goa ahead and post it .... perhaps I was looking to change something? Oh well! This is for your reading pleasure now; I can update and revise later if necessary. So let's have some constructive criticisms, yeah? Thanks, loves!

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**Chapter Five**

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It was the first sign of sunlight that anyone had seen in three days; warmth that was barely able to peek through the faintly grey clouds that were so reminiscent of rain, light that had been almost forgotten in the small village near the Bone Eater's well. Especially for the season, such sudden and unforeseen rain was uncommon, and the fact that it had hung over the village for so many days was ominous. There was a certain sense of foreboding tragedy hanging in the air that no resident could either confirm or deny. It was present but not present. It was thick but thin.

But no matter what it was, exactly, it sent chills racing down Kouga's spine.

The wolf demon was acquiescent to the time that slowly seemed to drag onwards towards eternity. No matter how strong his desire to speed Kagome's recovery, he knew, without the help of Lady Kaede's encouraging words and Sango's meaningful conversations, that patience was his only answer. His only option. He had done everything in his power to keep Kagome safe and he knew that he'd made the right decision to bring here to Kaede's village. The only thing he could do now was pray to whatever Gods would hear him for Kagome to resist the icy cloud of death that still threatened her.

So with his arms crossed over his chest, he leaned against the side of Kaede's hut and kept his eyes focused on the sunlight beginning to pierce through the clouds overhead. It was his little bit of hope through the uncertainty that surrounded his current situation.

For how long had he wished to make Kagome his woman? It certainly hadn't seemed so long to him, at least, not in the grand scheme of years that he would be blessed with in lifetime. There was something oddly striking about the way she'd been able to resist his charms and affections for so long, keeping her heart for only that ungrateful hanyou to hold. He'd never changed his mind about her, even after she had accepted Inuyasha's proposal, even when he was sure that she'd be immune to his affections forever.

But now, with Inuyasha out of the picture, how could fate be so cruel as to leave her sick and him helpless to aid her? He felt as though he was being tested and, while nothing really came to mind to allude to why this might be, Kouga still felt his blood boil at the thought that there was something that might want to take that beautiful woman away from him.

"You'd hate for a scowl to be the first thing Kagome sees when she wakes up."

Turning to the side, Kouga's expression softened slightly to see the young demon slayer staring up at him with a slightly amused smile hinting at her lips. Her eyes were focused on his face, perhaps she was contemplating this scowl that was apparently defining his current mood, but she turned away from him to look outwards across the village and towards that same hint of sunlight that he'd noticed earlier.

"I know it isn't my mood you're here to talk about, taijiya," his voice was low, though there was a faint trace of the same cockiness that he'd used so many times to taunt Inuyasha. If he was hoping to challenge Sango on some unspoken level, he'd left her to determine that herself, because he was silent again for a long while.

Sango let his words wash over her, knowing in an instant that he could read her far better than she'd anticipated. It wasn't a disappointment; Kagome had always been able to decipher her true motivations for the actions and words she chose and that had made communication easier for Sango. She'd never really been good with words; her actions were far more defining, even now, but she felt like she owed Kouga something. An apology, if nothing else, because he'd saved one of the most important people in her life.

"I thought you might be lonely," she tried, wandering across the wooden floor beams to stand next to the wolf youkai. She hadn't noticed how much smaller she was compared to him until she was standing beside his domineering figure. His shoulders were broad and, though he wasn't quite as tall as Miroku, his muscles were far more defined. Perhaps she should attribute it to his life as a hunter. She'd paused for a moment but, when he didn't respond, she continued, "You haven't spoken to much of anyone since your arrival. I thought I might extend an invitation for some company."

"I haven't got a lot to say," he confessed, letting his eyes trace her delicate features. She looked very fragile up close and, had he not known of her profession, he might have been foolish enough to consider her weak. With an ironic smile forming at her lips, he thought it right to add, "But thank you."

She took a step ahead of him and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest and keeping her eyes trained to the sky. Eventually there would be sunlight again and she'd been so long without seeing it that she wanted to be the first to notice its warm rays. But Sango didn't want to be the only one; her voice was soft when she finally spoke again, "If you've got nothing to say then I should hope it won't offend you if I do the talking."

Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Kouga quickly took a seat next to her, though he left a considerable distance between them to ensure both of them comfort, "Not at all."

It took a while for Sango to determine how to breach the subject of Kagome with the youkai beside her but he'd seemed content to be patient and it had allowed for Sango to gain a bit of confidence in herself. The girl from the future was important to the slayer and she found it her duty to watch over the other woman, like an older sister might watch out for her younger sibling. Fate had left them both orphans in this land; Kagome was separated from her family some hundreds of years into the future but Sango's kin were dead. It was an arrangement that had been natural and free-flowing.

"You always did intend to make her your woman, didn't you, Kouga-kun?" she tried out his name, letting it fall from her lips for the first time. Her words were cautious, though they were light, hiding some of the weight of her meaning in their mysterious tones. But she was already started and, whether he liked it or not, she wasn't going to stop in case she was too fearful to start again, "I'm sorry if I'm too…"

"Forward?" he'd finished her sentence, a small chuckle escaping his lips after he'd done it. He didn't seem to be angry. In fact, he seemed a bit amused by Sango's sudden interest in him.

"Forward," she agreed, offering him a smile of her own in return. "I suppose you plan to resume your pursuit of her affections?"

There was a long pause and Sango turned to look at the wolf youkai, deep in thought. Perhaps he was trying to determine what the underlying meaning of her questioning could be or he might have just been attempting to formulate a proper answer for her. Either way, Sango wasn't in any hurry to hear him speak again. She remained silent, studying his profile. He really was handsome, for a demon.

"I've never stopped," he challenged. "So there's nothing to resume."

"But she was supposed to marry Inuyasha," Sango protested. "Are you meaning to insinuate that you would have continued to shower her with fondness and bold declarations of love, even if she had taken another as her mate?"

"I am."

The smile on his face caused unfamiliar electricity to race through Sango's body. It was something between a smile and a smirk, something she hadn't seen from him before and hadn't been prepared to receive. There was confidence written across his features and a certainty in his voice that didn't leave any room for questioning. He'd been genuine with Kagome all along. He hadn't ever led her astray; his emotions were written on his heart and they'd be there forever, whether Kagome was ever his woman or not.

Sango smiled back at Kouga, "Then I suppose you only have Inuyasha to thank for this interrogation."

She was gone, retreated to the safety of Kaede's hut, before Kouga could even make to retaliate with a response of his own. But, when his eyes focused back on the sky, he could see that the sunlight was definite; it was finally here after days of absence. Sango had seen what she had wanted to see; heard what she'd needed to hear. And Kouga was grateful that, for a moment at least, he'd been filled with hope, and friendship, and acceptance.


	6. Chapter 6

**Illusions of Her Fantasy**

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**Author's Note:** Alright, it was definitely time for an update and, in my opinion, a plot twist! I certainly hope that you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I promise that it will be rather shocking! Please read and review and let me know what you're thinking. I would really love to hear anything you've got to say, constructive criticism especially. If you tell me where you would like to see this story go, I can update faster! Thanks, loves!

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**Chapter Six**

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She was dreaming.

Or, at least, she was selfish enough to hope that she had been dreaming when her lovely sapphire eyes finally opened from days of slumber. She took a moment to scan the interior of the room, noting the thatched roof and familiar smell of medicinal herbs that so characterized Kaede's hut. With a small stretch from beneath her covers, Kagome blinked, feeling too warm in the summer morning, and sat up too quickly only to have her vision blur and her head spin rather uncomfortably.

"Head rush," the voice wasn't ultimately unkind but it was so familiar and sarcastic. "It's probably because you haven't eaten anything in three days."

Kagome knew who it belonged to before she'd even fallen back into her bed. She was familiar with the whiny tones, the all-knowing attitude that mixed with the textured alto.

"I-Inuyasha?" she stammered, blinking up at the ceiling. "What? I don't understand. What happened?"

Yawning lazily from beside her bed of comforters on the floor, Inuyasha took a moment to stretch. Sitting on the thatched roof of Kaede's hut to wait for Kagome to open her lazy eyes for an entire night hadn't really been his idea of a good time. And if that damned wolf demon hadn't finally left, Inuyasha was sure that he was going to lose his nerve and just leave entirely. For right now, however, the half-demon seemed rather content to just let the silence wash over them and, had it not been for the exasperated sigh from Kagome, he might never have answered her question at all.

"Wadaya mean, 'what happened', Kagome?" he sounded irritated, perhaps, but there was a softness that washed over his features. It was almost as though he pitied the poor young girl lying on the floorboards beside him. But Inuyasha was far from mature enough to answer the girl sincerely. "You mean to tell me that you don't remember that flea infested wolf demon crashing our wedding and kidnapping you?"

It had been sarcasm.

The words had fallen from his mouth before he'd had the cognitive though necessary to fully understand the consequences of what he'd just said.

Kagome stayed where she was at on the bed that she had occupied for days and appeared to be in deep thought. She seemed to be ultimately hurt by his confession, but Inuyasha was too proud to apologize.

'So it – it really was just a dream,' Kagome deduced. Her eyes were closed but the images of spending a night comfortably wrapped in Kouga's strong arms, sheltered from the cold storm outside, brought a slight flush to her cheeks nonetheless. The events of that night were a little hazy to her, even now. Biting her lower lip to keep the confused tears from falling down her cheeks, Kagome tried to remember anything that would give her even some clue about the order of events on what was supposed to have been her wedding night.

She remembered the lilies almost immediately. She had been lying in a field of them, watching the clouds in the sky gather for the impending storm. There had to be something else she wasn't remembering; some important detail that would have made the events clear in her mind. But Kagome could remember nothing. Only lilies and the ocean.

'The ocean!' Her eyes shot open almost immediately when she thought of it. He had been holding her in his arms and they were both falling towards it. There was rain; a terrible storm. Kouga must have jumped off of the cliff to get away from Inuyasha who would have undoubtedly been chasing after her if she'd really been kidnapped on their wedding day. Things were starting to make sense to her now.

"I don't understand," she murmured, letting her eyes meet Inuyasha's. "Why?"

There were tears now. And Kagome really did look rather hopeless, curled under her blankets on Kaede's floor the way she was. Inuyasha was experiencing the full guilt caused by his actions and he was going to be damned if he hurt her twice. His voice was softer now, more sincere, "Kagome, I'm sorry I-"

Inuyasha's apology was interrupted by a muffled sob from Kagome, "W-why would Kouga do something like that?"

"What?" Inuyasha was cautious now, wondering just what it was that was happening. Here he was, about to apologize for the lie he'd just told her and now she had gone off and actually started to believe him? The gears in his head were turning and he couldn't help but wonder if this was his opportunity for a second chance with Kagome. Sure, he still had Kikyou, but Inuyasha had never really been able to make up his mind and choose just one of them. With a small smile beginning to form, he whispered, "Kagome?"

"Why would Kouga?" she sniffled, wiping a few of the tears from her cheeks with the back of her sleeve. "Why would he ki-kidnap me on our wedding night?"

"Oh Kagome," Inuyasha shook his head, moving closer to her for the first time. Cautiously he picked her up from the futon, as though touching her might reveal his lies, and he brought her into his arms. Rocking her back and forth, he couldn't help but feel slightly victorious in this new story he'd somehow managed to weave into her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

**Before the Worst

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Author's Note:** Yes, I am still working on this story, though you will notice that it is still not complete. I have finally determined an appropriate ending that I think all parties will enjoy and appreciate. Hell, who knows, it might even make you feel warm and fuzzy inside… but, sadly, nothing good comes without a bit of hardship first. So I apologize for this chapter but I assure you that it is necessary. Trust me… love you all dearly and I appreciate your reviews tremendously. Please keep them constructive and magnificent, as they have been thus far!

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**Chapter Seven**

The realization was slow coming, perhaps, when one considered how quickly the days of rain had given way to the hot, sticky weather that was more expected of the season. There hadn't been nearly enough breeze at all and, for what help the occasional movement of air could provide, it seemed that both time and season were on the side of Inuyasha for that particular moment.

But when the wind did, eventually, lend itself to the aid of the ookami prince, he'd caught scent her tears quickly, as though his senses had been fine tuned to pick up even her most subtle sadness. Kouga hadn't run back to her as quickly since he'd returned his jewel shards to Kagome; but for the first time, it just wasn't fast enough.

With shaking hands, she clutched her covers tightly, as though letting them go might release what little composure she'd managed to regain. The way that her sapphire eyes stared straight into his own with such pain-misunderstanding-conviction-disgust spoke measures more than her actions ever could have. There were tears brimming near the corners of those gorgeous eyes and the realization caused Kouga's heart to shatter into a million tiny pieces.

Because she was angry with him.

Kouga had been too late; Inuyasha had gotten to Kagome first…

"Kagome-" the look she gave the ookami prince shamed him into silence and he took a step backwards in response to the disgusted sound that escaped her throat. There was silence for a long few moments before Kagome finally dropped the blankets she was clinging to. Her lifeline, her sanity… it fluttered to the wooden floor beneath her small frame and crumpled around her delicate figure, slender from sickness.

Clenching her fist to rest over her heart, Kagome let her eyelashes, as dark as midnight, fall closed against her porcelain skin.

"Go."

It was a simple request, considering everything that he had done for her already. He'd followed her throughout her journey, returned the jewel shards that she was so certain would ensure her every happiness, and risked his life for her thousands of times over. Kouga had loved her unconditionally, cherished her and taken pride in his patience and insistence that she would someday accept him as her mate. He'd given himself over to her and believed with all of his heart that fate had finally looked favorably on him.

Kagome had agreed to be his woman. She had, with three simple words, given him his every worldly desire, made all of his dreams come true, and given him a true purpose in life. Kouga would live for her; to love her, to honor her… but she wouldn't have him.

"Kagome," there was so much emotion in those three syllables. And the pause that seemed to further widen the immeasurable distance between them. He was so many things, tied up in knots from the inside out; turmoil-unstable-dejected-indignant-ruin. His eyes, the windows to his heart, would have revealed every truth in his promises to her if she would have only blessed him with just one last glance. But her eyes remained focused on the gleaming floorboards. His voice was emotion, "I know that you could never love all of me; but I'm begging you to try."

When she looked up at him again, her tears were falling freely.

"Kagome, please-"

"Go!"

It had been something between a scream and a yell; anger and desire. But it was passion and heartbreak wrapped together in a single syllable set to seal Kouga's fate.

And it was such a simple request, considering everything that he had done for her already and everything that he'd hoped to do for her someday. It was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, turning away from her with the knowledge that he would desire to go back to her forever and she would never call him to her side. But forever was such a long time if he couldn't see her just one last time…

With one hand on the door frame of the cabin, he glanced quickly over his shoulder.

Inuyasha was standing in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest and his back leaning up against the wall. His eyes met Kouga's for a brief moment and a triumphant smile crossed his face.

Kouga spun away from the cabin so quickly that the breeze he left in his wake shamed that which had been so slow to come to his aid; that which now mocked him entirely as it whipped violently against his retreating figure.


	8. Chapter 8

The Lavender Field

Author's Note: I know it has been more than a year; I'm not sure if you're even still reading this story. I re-read it last night for the first time… admittedly it hasn't been since my last update that I read this story. There are fifty four reviews for this story. It touched enough people to comment, love, hate, and interact with me fifty four times. Those reviews mean the world to me, so it is for all of you who reviewed, added this story to your update lists, and favorited me as an author that I am writing this now. I feel as though this story deserves its proper ending… whether you are still reading it or not.

Chapter Eight

She's the kind of woman that knows instantly when you've done something wrong. She can see it in your posture; the subtle changes in the way that you carry yourself when you're around her, the way the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when she looks at you with her intense chocolate orbs. And, before you've even realized what she's truly capable of, you're already surrendering your secrets to her.

But she's also the kind of woman that won't reveal your every misdemeanor immediately. She'll make you suffer for your actions until you're all but lying on the ground at her feet begging for mercy.

It was for her subtleties that the ookami prince sought her out. And for her understanding; her acceptance of him in particular.

"_You'd hate for a scowl to be the first thing Kagome sees when she wakes up."_

She had been standing with her back to him, completely unaware that he had been approaching her from behind. The wind that would have carried his scent to her was blowing against her, gently toying with the long strands of ebony hair that hung about her waist. When the breeze that had been created by his sudden stop mingled with the natural wind surrounding her; Sango's hair spun upwards and away from her shoulders for a moment before everything in the clearing settled in stillness.

"I can't imagine you're here to tell me she's awake," Sango confessed, kneeling to the ground in the center of the clearing and running her hands over the delicate lavender flowers surrounding her. The flowers were so small if you studied just one… the scent so very faint and subtle… but when she concentrated on the entire stem of flowers and the intoxicating scent of the entire clearing it was rather obvious to the taijiya why her friend had chosen this as her hiding place the night she had run from her own wedding. Sango picked up the wooden zori and delicate hair combs that Kagome had left behind on that fateful evening before standing up and turning to face the young ookami prince who remained silent behind her. Her voice was soft, "Am I to understand that he got to her first?"

Kouga's silence confirmed the slender woman's suggestion.

There was stillness between the two figures for a moment before the breeze returned; the leaves overhead rustled gently and cut delicate patterns in the light that reached the ground around their feet. Sango approached Kouga cautiously, placing a hand on his shoulder once she was close enough. The contact, though he had half been expecting it, surprised the wolf youkai nonetheless… his eyes met hers almost immediately, icy blue orbs holding back what the tajiya suspected to be a sea of emotions.

"We really haven't much time, have we?" her delicate words cut through the silence fearlessly, although they never betrayed the soft spot that had developed in her heart towards the tall demon in front of her. He had single handedly given the slayer her best friend back, he'd given Kagome back her life…

Finally, Kouga spoke, "You know as well as I that _his_ name is written somewhere across her heart. Regardless of what deceptions might have been made against her, the fact of the matter is that I could never deny that lovely, perfect creature anything she asks of me… and she finally asked me to leave."

Biting her tongue for a moment to let the wolf youkai thoughtfully reflect on his self-pity, Sango began formulating her rebuttal. There was a level on which she truly understood Kagome's love for the half-demon; some of the trials that their group had experienced on the long journey to restore the Shikon Jewel were such that no outsider could truly understand. It seemed only logical that Kagome should feel tied to the only one among their group who had ever seen the home she was barred from ever returning to. There was even a level on which Sango understood her friend's acceptance of Inuyasha's strange relationship with the woman Kikyou… it wasn't like her own love affair with the houshi had never left her feeling the burn associated with the discovery that her lover had spent the night in the arms of another. But all of Sango's pity and understanding for Kagome stopped just shy of Kouga; here was a lover who had offered himself to the lovely young girl countless times. He'd proven his devotion, his desire to possess her love forever and always.

"We only accept the love we think that we deserve," Sango whispered softly as her mind turned around the next words she would speak. They would have to be chosen carefully so as not to hurt the demon's already wavering pride. It was difficult for the slayer to see the ookami prince so utterly defeated, however, there was something she'd been meaning to tell him for a long time. Taking a deep breath, she finished, "But at what point will you finally be willing to stand up and give the woman you love exactly what she needs, regardless of whatever she might think she wants?"

Shock was evident on Kouga's face.

He was fairly certain that he'd just received the slayer's blessing to pursue Kaogme despite her obvious, admittedly oblivious, desire to have the hanyou as her own. Before he could say anything to her, she was walking away and towards the village with Kagome's wooden zori and porcelain combs in her hands.

Rather than chase after her, the wolf prince laid down in the lavender field. There was already a place where the flowers had been smashed down, almost as though someone had been lying there before…

The intoxicating scent of lavender overwhelmed the wolf's senses, clouding his mind with memories of that night he'd found the only women he'd ever had the courage enough to love about to end her own life. This was how she had smelled the evening Kouga had wrapped her up in his arms to keep away the cold… like lavender and raindrops.

Closing his eyes, he wondered just what it had been that caused Kagome to change her mind about him. Inuyasha had left Kagome on her wedding day for the woman Kouga still could still pick up the faintest scent of death clinging to. He'd made her question her place in this world; Kagome, the hero who had restored the Shikon Jewel and defeated Naraku… Inuyasha had made her question whether or not she belonged to this world. As far as the wolf youkai was concerned, this world belonged to Kagome. From the sunlight gently warming his skin to the lavender flowers brushing against his limbs… all of this, everything she had saved; it was all for Kagome.

Why was Inuyasha the one who got to end up with Kagome in the end, anyway? It wasn't like he deserved to have her love; it wasn't like loved her back… And something within the ookami prince absolutely snapped. How many times had he left Kagome's side because of that hanyou? How many times had she politely passed his affections off as nothing more than those of a friendly admirer? Well, to be perfectly honest, Kouga had absolutely had enough of watching Kagome being mistreated by Inuyasha. The hanyou simply wasn't capable of treating her right.

Sango was right. Inuyasha might have been the man that Kagome thought she wanted to spend the rest of her life with but for all practical purposes, he simply wasn't capable of taking care of her. Kouga knew that he was the man Kagome needed; he had vowed thousands of times to love and honor her, to take care of her when she was sick. He wanted to be the father of her children, to put a roof over her head. Kouga wanted to provide for this woman in all of the ways that Inuyasha had tried and failed.

Kouga was in love with Kagome. She was the only woman for him and he was exactly the man that she needed. Kouga would have been damned before he let another moment pass without telling her that.

So Kouga scooped up a handful of lavender blossoms and marched straight back into the small village Kagome had made her home.


	9. Chapter 9

All Good Things

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Author's Note: At long last… a proper ending.

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Chapter Nine

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She stared down at her hands, waiting to feel something as she looked at the beautiful ivory combs that had held her hair away from her face on her wedding day. An intricate set, accented with carvings of bamboo and lotus flowers outlining basket-weave windows with a delicate pair of mockingbirds inside; she'd considered them too extravagant a gift when Sango had confessed they once belonged to her mother. But for all Kagome's hesitance, Sango had responded with insistence… and she'd smiled something bittersweet as the other girl regarded her best friend before the ceremony.

_"Smile, Kagome-chan," _a careful laugh._ "You wouldn't want a scowl to be the first thing he sees when you walk down the aisle!"_

The memory brought tears to Kagome's eyes. She held them back, drawing a breath and biting her lower lip as she set the combs gently on the tatami mat beside her. They were just beside the maple wood zori, braided with white silk. In her lap rested the kimono that she had worn that afternoon and into evening… but that was where the details began to blur like ink over parchment. A few delicate tears fell onto the silk kimono but if any of her companions had noticed, none dared to so much as breathe.

She muffled a sob with the back of her hand but her shoulders shook violently, as though from cold, when she finally acquiesced to let herself cry. At first she blamed it on his cruelty, that Kouga would be so headstrong as to whisk her away on the day of her wedding. But those angry thoughts didn't last long; quickly replaced by her confusion over the strange, vivid dreams she'd had of spending her wedding night in a cave with the ookami prince.  
Were she the type, Kagome might have sworn she could still feel his arms wrapped around her, his warmth radiating toward her. It was a thought that, despite her tears, brought a flush to her cheeks. And she cried all the more passionately for the shame of what this realization brought.

For while she was convinced that she had loved Inuyasha on the morning of their wedding, Kagome was certain that the fire burning deep inside of her wasn't born of her love for the hanyou. It was something different, something that confused her to near madness.

It was _'I love you, lady; I have always loved you.'_

_'Oh, heavens,'_ the young miko sobbed into her palms. _'Was any of this real? What have I asked of him?'_

"Are you done, yet?" Inuyasha's impatience was evident on his face as he crossed and uncrossed his arms over his chest from the corner of Kaede's hut. He shifted in agitation before muttering, "Women."

Having always prided himself on cool, collected behavior, the Houshi was first to raise his voice to reprimand Inuyasha for his insensitive words. The monk sat up straighter, drew a sharp breath, and pointed to the door with his right hand, "Out, Inuyasha!"

"This is not the time for your insensitive feelings to make themselves known," Sango admonished, wrapping her arms tightly around Kagome and pulling the younger woman close. She slowly rocked backwards and forwards, murmuring an occasional _'shh'_ or _'there, there, lovely'_to Kagome.

But Inuyasha didn't make any attempt to leave the hut. He instead raised an eyebrow as Miroku stood from his position next to Kagome and crossed the tatami mats to Inuyasha's corner. The houshi grabbed the hanyou by the scruff of his collar and hoisted him to his feet, dragging the complaining white-haired boy out the door with him. Admittedly, Inuyasha hadn't put up much of a fight; he'd been anxious to leave the hut since Sango had returned with Kagome's wedding accessories. The taijiya had always had an unusual way of knowing exactly when he'd done something wrong and just how to make him feel most guilty for it.

"Hey!" Inuyasha protested after Miroku had hauled him nearly across the village and still showed no signs of stopping. "Lemme go!"

With a heavy sigh, Miroku dropped the red-clad hanyou, causing the silver-haired man to lose his balance. Steadying himself against the trunk of the tree they were standing under, Miroku fought to maintain his composure. He'd been pleased with the results of his effort as he calmly leveled his gaze with Inuyasha's and asked, "How cruel are you truly capable of being, Inuyasha? You made your choice the day of your wedding – and it wasn't Kagome."

He paused, waiting until the hanyou was scowling. It was enough confirmation that his words had hit their mark.

So the houshi continued, "I'm ashamed of myself for ever having let you near her. I went against my better judgment, letting you back into that hut, and it's been only Kagome to suffer for it! Don't you think you've put her through enough?"

"Heh!" the hanyou pouted. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned away from Miroku with his nose pointed towards the sky. Perhaps that was how he first caught the scent. Or it might have been no more than the wind's sense of humor, once more, withholding its helpfulness from the hanyou and giving it to the ookami youkai instead. It was lavender, fresh and clear. And the stronger that it became, the tighter Inuyasha could feel his fists clenching at his side. Through gritted teeth he growled at Kouga, "Do the girl a favor and do as she asked of you, ookami."

Stunned that the ookami prince had arrived so suddenly, what when the houshi had searched nearly three quarters of an hour from every edge of the village searching for him, Miroku felt his eyes widen, his breath catch in his throat. The hanyou and youkai had never been fond of each other; such had been a fact of life for three years of Kouga endlessly courting Kagome and Inuyasha's insistent dissent. But never had an exchange felt so tense, absolutely heated from the very beginning. The houshi could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for the prince to react to Inuyasha's snide remark.

Kouga paused briefly, adjusting the sword at his side and the lavender blossoms in his hand, and his sky blue eyes traveled over the hanyou. While typically he had always participated in a short bout of banter with the hanyou, Kouga knew he had more important matters to attend to. So he only raised an eyebrow at his tormentor before turning away without a word and starting in the direction of Kaede's hut.

"Nanda!" the hanyou tried again. "I said get the hell outta here, baka ka!"

Kouga paid him no further attention. And Miroku grabbed Inuyasha by the elbow, holding him in place with a warning look. Both houshi and hanyou watched, stunned, as the ookami prince slowly made his way into the hut.

He flinched at the look Sango directed at him.

The taijiya with her arms around the young miko, glared daggers up at him. Her deep brown eyes seemed to ask, _'What in the seven hells took you so long?'_ But she spoke not a word as Kagome's tears began to subside and the hard look on Sango's face eventually softened as the ookami prince gathered his thoughts.

Admittedly, he'd not prepared any form of confession for Kagome. The only thing he had thought about while crossing the distance between them had been reaching her; seeing her one more time. Confirming that she hadn't meant what she had asked of him. He'd never had a way with words. But despite his reservations, Kouga knew he couldn't live another day if he didn't say something… if he didn't try to make her understand.

"Kagome," he breathed, kneeling down at the edge of her mat.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sound of his voice and she looked up suddenly. The motion from the miko was enough to coerce Sango to lessen her grip on her friend and silently excuse herself from the room. But if either figure had noticed, neither showed any sign.

Tears were still clinging to the corners of Kagome's eyes and, in an attempt to lessen the awkward silence that had fallen over the pair, Kouga made a slow motion to dry a trail one of those glistening tears had left as it had fallen down her pale cheek. Kagome flinched away from his touch.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, the pain so evident in his voice he couldn't have hid it from her if he had tried. He pulled his hand back, cradling it against his heart as though he might be able to keep the pieces from falling apart. His voice was soft, still barely above a whisper, when he spoke again. "I'm sorry I came back, Kagome. But you have to understand…"

He paused.

She whimpered.

Kouga bit his lower lip before thrusting the lavender blossoms into her lap, "I brought these. They're for you."

Kagome's left hand tightened around the fresh stems, her right finding its way to the tiny blossoms that dotted each bloom. As the intoxicating scent filled her lungs, she gasped as her gaze was locked on him. Her silent realization was written evident across her features.

Her reaction strengthened his resolve to continue, "You have to understand that I couldn't leave without telling you – making you understand what I mean every time I tell you that someday I'll make you my woman."

"H-how long have you felt this way, Kouga-kun?" she barely breathed.

He smiled something bitter, exhaling deeply, "I figured out just how much I loved you the night of your wedding, when you looked at me from over your shoulder, about to jump over that cliff."

Kouga frowned. Kagome lowered her gaze to her hands, gracefully folded in her lap. He'd made her nervous, chastised her for her foolishness with his bluntness. But that had never been his intention.

"I couldn't protest your wishes to marry him; if you had felt anything like what you feel for Inuyasha for me, you would have understood the gravity of what you'd asked of me, Kagome," the ookami prince shook his head, unsure if he should continue. But reason won out in the end; the knowledge that he'd regret for the rest of his life not telling this woman how he felt about her. "To stand by and watch you marry someone else? I thought, all the more reason to say nothing. But then, when I saw that look in your eyes; that sorrow on the night you should have been with – with him… well, I knew that it wouldn't be fair. To me, mostly. I've loved you for so long, Kagome, and I didn't realize what that meant, how deep that goes, until I was faced with losing you forever, for eternity… The implications of my feelings for you aren't something that I am capable of speaking out loud."

Kouga paused for a moment, gathering his emotions so they wouldn't betray his intentions.

"Oh, Kouga-kun!" Kagome breathed, her shoulders shaking as she tried to hold back a sob.

"I'm sorry, Kagome-chan," he started to get up, bringing his right foot towards his left knee and anchoring his right hand in preparation to help him stand. "I never wanted to make you cry."

"Once upon a time, there was a boy who ran like the wind," Kagome whispered. "He was handsome, perfect in the way that boys who run like the wind always are…"

He froze as her gentle tenor trailed off. His shoulders tense, heart pounding.

Then she began again, "And there was a girl; a girl who loved him very much. A girl who was simple and plain in all the ways that girls who love boys who run like the wind should never be. She was shy, afraid, and she spent three years convincing herself he was so much more than she deserved."

Kouga visibly relaxed, leaning closer to her so that their lips were nearly touching. And he whispered against her jawbone, "What if he promised to spend every day for the rest of his life convincing her just how lucky he would be to have her?"

Kagome smiled.

And Kouga laughed.

Before either of them could think, the raven haired beauty was in his arms, kissing him quickly at first – as though making up for lost time. And then she kissed him slowly because they had all the time in the world. His lips were soft and the careful, passionate way he moved them against hers brought that familiar, burning feeling to her stomach. His fingers laced through her hair, savoring the feeling of the silky waves against his forearms. And her hands fell to rest against his forearms as he held her. Somewhere in between kisses, she managed, "I love you, Kouga-kun; and I will love you until I die, and if there is life after that, I'll still love you then."

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Fin


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